Experimental study on crack curving propagation in bending beams under impulsive load

Dynamic fracture behaviour of crack curving in bent beams has been investigated. In order to understand the propagation mechanism of such cracks under impact, an experimental method is used that combines dynamic photoelasticity with dynamic caustics to study the interaction of the flexural waves and the crack. From the state change of the transient stresses in polymer specimen, the curving fracture in the impulsively loaded beams is analyzed. The dynamic responses of crack tips are evaluated by the stress intensity factors for the cracks running in varying curvature paths under bending stress wave. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Scientific Commission of Yunnan Province of China